Daily Republican., 1887-03-23

lished, by the request Of Hon. John N.
Broomall, . sermon preached by Rev. T.
b. Allen, in Trinity Church, Boston, 70
GENTLY on the treatment OF prisoners,
wht,n on account Of the startling sta.
tstics proving the increase OF crime In
eur country, should s.artle every intelli-
gem ci.izsn with humane impulses TO
ask "shither are we dsiftipg?" In
tak.rg the position that our laws are
mors Intended to punish than TO reform
criminals the minister named treads
over ground often before tread by the
REPUBLICAN, In It's well-kuown Advo-
cacy 81 prison reform In our OWN Safe,
where there Ia not . single institu don
erected or endowed having for its o b.
ject the RECLAIM ation and reform of GRIM
ina ii d fallen As o. o. our people.
Out against the bleak foreground. OF
crime stands no relief or hope but IL O
dingy walls Of our county jAils, and the
info bidding Aspec. OF our comfy Alms-
houses.
Oar Legislators seem to think OF al.
mos every imaginable kind of laws ex.
cep those that would reform the fallen
classes. The magnificent fund provided
by the State for the education OF her
children Is standing monument OF
honor and credit, but the State stops
short OF her duty when she provides no
means for the reclaR alton OF those
same children when they are found rob
bed OF character in this great Jericho
OF sin.
We might say that words were cheap
In the mouth o. an eloquent divine like
Mr.. Allen, but when backed up by
statistics that cannot be denied, they
but add convincing force to the elo-
quence OF expression. Here are fe "
figures for the consideration of not only
Della ware lawmakers, ont Of lawmakers
In all the States Of our Union:
In 1850, thtrs were In the prisons OF
the United States nearly 1000 prisoners;
In 1860, there we're Is, 900: In 1870, there
were $1,000, and In 1880 there were
more than SO. 900 prisoners. That Is, In
1850, there was one prisoner In every
5000 population; in 1860, one In every
1900; in 1870, one In every 1000, and In
1880 one in every 1877 OF our vast and
increasing population. Bat this fearful
increase Of crime is still going on. Mr..
A has shown by indisputAble facts and
figures that even in the State OF M .ssa-
chusetts where much attention has bsep
paid TO prison reform In the humane
treatment Of prisoners, crime has risen
In about the same ratio. The report Of
the prison missioners In the State
for 1885 puts the proportion o /, prist ne {
10 the entire population rs one to every
515. and Tor the county OF Suffolk, In
which Boston Is located, the NUN Der OF
criminals has increased to one in every
278 OF the population. We may well
ask who is responsi BILE for this terrible
increase Of crime. The American people
are res ponsibls for It, Mr.. Allen laws Il TO
"the decay Of reverence for sacred
shings, the increase OF wilfulness and
lawlessness," but above all to our
whole national system OF dealing with
crime. But our increase Of crime ard
criminals Is only part OF our humll!-
alton when compared with The rapid
decrease Of crime and criminals in
England and other nations OF the East.
ern Ointment S)me will say that the
criminals OF Elrope are sent over In
this country, but this assertion falls to
the ground in the face OF the fact tina,
In tho main our of.ndess are not O,
recent importation. They are .. GU.
own hr5duction, peculiar national
ps1afacture. Mr.. Allen says the cause
OF this is because oar national ingenuity
and earnestGess has been turned Il
morey-making, and no. to grappline
with tais problem of evil HumiliatinQ
Is II nay be to American pride, The
fact nevertheless exists that in England
the 'problem Of dealing successfully
with crime and criminals to diminist
them has been solved In that county
thers has been steady decrease In the
nuu Der OF criminals for the last twenty
five years. In 1850 there were abo 4,
900 sentences to penal servitude in
England and Wales; 10 1869, less & or
zoo; IN 1879, only 1900, and In $780,
ONLY lao. Though the population wal
increasing the ratio OF criminals fell
from one In 1000 In 1859 TO one in l8, coz
IN 1884. II Is alarming TO think thai
ut thu close OF twenty five years of con.
centrated progress we have In on,
country one criminal to every 837 O.
orr population. while England has bu
one In every Is. 900 Of her population
Toe reason Assigned for this differenc,
is tha, English prison plans are for tht
re'o.mation Of the prisoners, while our
ara only for retribution. The statistic
given we're the ground work of Rev
Mr.. Aliens powerful appeal to tn
people for o more humane treatment o
prisoners, with q view to recisimip .,
tholn o society than to degrade an,
punish them for their crimes. L. i
ii L. the people Of Delaware wer
moving in this matter. vengeance 4
mine, and | will repay" Is q prin cipl
thai ehe pc pie have arrogsted to them
selves too long Tle pilIory, the pos
aud the meroiless "cat" will Ia tn,
course OF few short years "hsve Il
60" and the sooner they 90 the bette
u will be for society. Let the Lord
and no. man, repay the vengeance du,
to or me. Inst.ad OF black, dingy
musty prisons we wan, houses of refor
nation. We iced ht m for the d e era lee
men OF society, we need them for tn,
Masdalens that sirsw the road to ruin
We need them for the young and tende
youths just entering the broad way t,
destruction.
An incident related by Mr.. Allen II
his wondertol sermon tnas has stirret
up Mas,s hus it's to the exercise o
cha, ~ and kiutuess TO criminals IN
STEAD u neg CO., and brutality, contalnl